Molding-machine.



W. LEWIS.

. MOLDING MACHINE. Y APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 9, 1909. RENEWED JULY 27, 1912.

1,121,929. Y Patented De@.22,1914.

2 rinus-saam 1.

IYITNESSIM W. LEWIS. MOLDING MACHINE.

f yam irma/1H.

I phia, in the State of Pennsylvania,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V wILrnnn LnwIs, or PHILADELPHIA, :can

NSYLVANIA, SSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIG SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION Specification o HOLDING-MACHINE.

f Letters Patent Patented Dec. 22,

application mea June' 9, isos, serial No. 501,133. 'Renewed my a?, i912. serial No. ritsen.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFRED LnwIs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and' county of Philadelvvented a certain new. and useful Improvement in Molding-Machines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being'had'to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The present invention relates to molding machines and particularly to the jar molding machines of the kind in which the yar table on which the ilask containing the pattern and mold Jforming material is placed is alternately raised and dropped by the admission to, and exhaust from, the actuating cylinder of the machine of a Iiiuid under pressure such as compressed air. Cnc object of the present invention is to provide novel mechanism for regulating the admission of compressed air to an exhaust from the actuating cylinder, which is simple and reliable in operation, will give the desired rapidity ot reciprocation of the jar table, and will insure against any cush ioning ofthe falling movement of the table. Another object of the invention is the arrangement of the liuid pressure controlling mechanism which readily permits the operator to count and control the Anumber of times the jar table 'is raised and dropped at each mold forming operation when he desires to do so, and which also readily permits the operator to regulate the height, if `he wishes, to which the Ajar table is raised preparatory to each jar, and consequently to regulate the force of the blow imparted to the jar table when it is dropped.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to 'and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the intention however and the advantages possessed by it, reference may had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described one of the forms in which the invention may be embodied.

' Of the drawings: Figure partly in section, ing machine and anism therefor.

1 is an elevation, of a portion of a jar moldthe valve controlling mech- Fig. `2 is a sectional elevahave intion of one of the 'controlling valves ployed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the paratus shown in angles to that figure and showing also controlling valves and piping, and Fig. a sectional plan of a second controlling valveemployed.

In the drawings: A represents the base ci? the molding machine from which extends upward the vertical stationary piston A".

B represents the movable cylinder sur=` its rounding the piston A and carrying at upper end the jar table B on which the flask, pattern and sand or other mold for ring material isvplaced, the sand being packed about the'pattern by jarring the table B. To obtain this jarring action the cylinder B and the table B is alternately raised by the admission of compressed air, or other fluid under pressure, to the interior of the cylinder through the port A2, and is.: y

lthen dropped when the pressure fluid is ez"- hausted. When the cylinder B drops lower end B3 strikes against the seat A3 provided for the purposeabout the lower end of the piston A. .-fr'f l A valve casing C i'sfattached to the base member A. The casing' C has a chamber which registers withthe port A2 of the base member A. The valve casing C is 'forno with an inlet chamber C connected 'to chamber C2 by a port C4, and an exi chamber C3 connected to the chamber a port C5.

A movable valve member D is mounts P the valve casing C and is provided with ton portions D and'fD2 controlling p C4 and C5. When the valve D is up, shown in Fig. l, port C5 is open and poris closedA `When the valve D is depressed, 'hereinafter described, the port C is opened and the port C5 is closed. 'Preferably piston and ports are so arranged that in an intermediate position of the valve D both the ports C* leaking past the and C5 are closed. The lower end of the valve D passes through the cliamrill/x o formed between thechambers C2 and C". A spring ton D exposed to the upward action of thev D3 extending between the upper end ofthe pressure in chamber C and in consequence valve member D and fthe cap C2, which when the pressure in the two chambers are closes the upper end of the chamber C, equal valve D moves down from the posi\V kserves not only to cushion the upward movetion shown in Fig. l. The admission' of 70 ment of the valve member D, but to norliuid to and exhaust from thechamber C mally urge it out of the position shown in takes place through the pipe H. By refer- Fig. l into the position in which the port ence to Fig. 3 it will-be seen that the/pipe H C is closed and 'the port C4 is open. 't leads to the casing of avalve K and thisv should be noted that the pressure in the valve may be turned/ (see Fig.' 4) to connect 75 chamber C acting on the'exposed underside .the pi e H with the pipe H or with the of'the piston extension D urges the valve pipe The pipe H is connected with the f into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which port of a pilot valve L, and the pipe H2 is the port C4 is closed. connected with the pressure fluid supply-v So far as above described the construction pipe O. r does not materially diii'er from that dey The -valve L shown n'Fig. 2Qcomprises la scribed and claimed in my prior Patent No. barrel like mainv vcasing member `L2 con- 89l,488, granted June 23rd, 1908, but in the nected at its lower end by the short pipe J means hereinafter described for operating to a pipe J.l At some distance 'above its the valve D, the present invention vdiffers lower end, the barrel L2 is provided with a 85 materially from the arrangement of my lateral port L* and it isto thisport that the prior patent. In the arrangement shown in pipe H is connected.` Below' the port L, my prior patent, means are provided for the barrel L2 is formed with a valve seat L3. positively shifting the valve into the posi- A-valve member L5 is located in the barrel tion in which air is exhausted from the L2 and serves when held against the seat vL2 90 Jar table cylinder when the latter reaches to close communication between the lower 'the4 upper limit of its movement, and into. end of the barrel L2 and the port Lais norposition to admit thepressure fluid to the mally held against its seat by a spring Jar table cylinder' when the jar'table drops L20 and also bythe .pressure of .the fluid in to its lowermost position. In consequence, the lowerl end of the barrel L2. A tubular 95 i with .the machine shown in my pr1or patent member'L6 works in the upper end of the the rismg and falhng movements' of they jar barrel L2 and is normally held in the posis table are automatically repeated so long as tionshown in Fig. 2 bythe spring L7 exthe supply of the pressure fluid to the inlet tending betweena-shulder on the barrel L2 port of the valve casing' corresponding to andiI the `cap member Ls to which the upper 100 the valve 'casing C herein, is uninterrupted 'end of the tubular member L6 is 'connected` l and it. is not possible tor control-the move- Ports L through the wall of the member L6 *Y ments of the jar table by controlling the above the lupper end ofthe barrel L2 permit valve corresponding to the valve D herein. the fluid fromthe chamber C6 to exhaust While the machine in my prior patent has through the pipes H andH, hollow mem- 105 been used extensively and has been generally ber L6 and ports L9 when the member L6 is satisfactory in operation, I have found that .in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the with it there is a tendency sometimes undevalve K 1s in the position shown in Fig. 4. sirable fte cushioning the downward move- When the member Le is depressed, however, ment of the jar table due to the fact that the the lower end of lthe member L lirsti seats 110 controlling valve corresponding to the valve on lthe upper end of the valve member L5 herein is moved into the position in which `whereby the bore or passage through the it admits compressed air to the operating member L'3 is closed. Further "downward cylinder before the jar table reaches its movement of the member -L21 causes the lowrmost position. l have also found that valve L5 to be depressed and permits fluid H5 it is desirable in many cases to provide an tolow from the pipe J through the valve machine of my prior patent.

arrangement' in which the operator has a Ls into the pipe H', and thence through the lmore direct control over the vcharacter and valve K and. pipe H` into the chamber'CGpof number of blows struck at each jarring opthe valve casing C. f eration-than is readily possible with the Means are provided for automatically'de-A 120 pressing the member L of the pilot valve vWith the present invention the valve D L at regular intervals in the opera-tion of may be moved into and out of the position the machine. In the form of theapparatus shown in Fig. l by the admission to, Vand exdisclosed this means comprises a bell crank haust from the chamberl C of compressed lever E keyed to the 4shaft lF journaled in 125 air, or other iiuid under pressure. As thebraclzet F secured to the valve casing C. shown, the cross ,sectional area ofthe pis- The two arms E and E2 of the lever are ton D2 exposed to the downward action of alternately engaged as the jar table rises the pressure in chamber C2 fis substantially and fails by adjustable stops and-G2 re- 4 A 1 L l 7 l v.greater than the cross sectional'area` or pisspectively, carried on the threaded rodG 130 connected at its lower end to an ear B2 projecting from the lower 'end of the cylinder B and connected at its upper end to the table B. An arm or lug E3 formed on the ear B2 extends over the pilot valve L and engages the member L6 or a threaded eXtension L10 hereof to depress it when the downward movement of the cylinder B brings the stop G2 against the lever arm E2.

On the following upward movement of the cylinder B the stop G engages the lever arm E and rocks the lever E to permit the member L6 of the pilot valve L to return to its original position. Yieldingy means are provided for holding the lever E against movement except under the positive action of the stops G and G2. In the form shown, a s ring F2 surrounds the pin F at one side-o the bracket F extending between the bracket F and the nut F4 secured to the end of the bolt. Between the other side of the bracket F and the head F't of the bolt, a friction washer F6 is placed. Of course any other suitable frictional holdingmeans might be employed.v

The pipe J is connected at its lower end to the pipe J, and the latter leads from the chamber C of the valve casing C to the port of the hand operated valve L correspending to the port L4. `Valve L is like the pilot valve L in all respects exceptthat preferably it is considerably larger and is manually operated through the hand lever operation in two ways.

P. The valve casing barrel of the hand operated valve L is connected to the fluid pressure supply pipe O.

The mechanism described is capable of In one mode of operation, which is the one more commonly employed, the valve K is turned as shownv in Fig. 4 to, connect the pipes H and H. Then when the operator desires to start the jarring ioperation he depresses the handle P of the hand valve L', and this serves to connect the pipe J with the fluid pressure supply pipe O. The pipe J then supplies fluid under pressure to the chamber Cof the valve casing C, and to the lower end ofthe barrel L2 of the pilot valve L. In the starting position the piston Bis down, of course, and consequentlyT valve D closes port C5 and opens port C4, so that the pressure admitted to the chamber C passes to the chamber C2 through the ports C* and thence through the port A2 to the space in the cylinder B above the piston A. This raises the cylinder B and when itl reaches the upward limit of its movement the stop G engages the arm E of the lever E, and `shifts the lever raising the lug E3 and permitting the member LG to rise, whereby the valve member D is moved by the pressure acting on the underside of the piston D, causing'the valve tosclose the port C4 and open the port C5. This permits the of its movement, and the stop G2 engages As the cylinder B reaches the lower limit the levera'rm E2, the lugl E3 engages the member LG of the pilot valve L, and moves it into the position in which compressed air is admitted through the pilot valve L to the chamber CG to shift valve D, and this operation is repeated so long as the hand operated valve L is maintained in the position in which it connects the pipes O and J.

Since the movement of the valve member D to close the port C and open the port C4 follows the operation of the pilot valve L, and the time of the movement is affected by the period required to build up the pressure in the chamber C, the parts can readily be so adjusted that the port C5 will not be closed, and the port C4 will not be opened until the cylinder B has completed its downward movement. This avoids all possibility of any cushioning .of the drop of the cylinder B by the trapping of air in,

or the admission of compressed air to the I the number of blows struck in forming the mold more closely than can be readily obtained when the valve D is controlled directly by the pilot yvalve L, a second mode of operation is followed. In the second mode of operation the valve K is turned to the position'in which it closes communication-between the vpipes H and H', and/opens -communication between the pipes H and H2. When this occurs the pressure of the supply pipe O is continuously maintained in the chamber C of the valve casing C, and

the valve D is constantly held in the lowermost position in which the port C5 is closed and the port CL is open. Then, by opening and closing the hand operated-valve L', the pressure fluid is alternately admitted to and exhausted from the cylinder B. lilith this mode of operation, the 'operating lever P of the hand valve L mustl be depressed for each admission of air to the cylinder B, and must be allowed to rise before the air can thereafter escape from cylinder B. lVith some classes of work it is desirable to raise and drop the cylinder B onlyv once, twice, or some other small number of times, in forming each mold. With such work, where the reciprocation of the cylinder B is controlled by an automatic valve operated by the movements of the cylinder, it

is diicult to controly the number of the recluding the piston and achamber therefor.y

; valvelmechanisin controlling the admission,A to and exhaust from saidcylinder of auf valve mechanism iii-, a chamber therefor, a pilot valve for intermittently connecting' chamber to a' source: of Huid under, pressurefcr to exhaustgto.

ciprocations ofthe cyiinder as closely as is' desiredhandV ofcourse it is much easier to obtain less' than the normal stroke of the cylinder where its movements are controlled solely through the hand operated valvevL than where the 'control is had both through ahand operated valve and a pilot valve.

s a means for insuring that the upward movement of the sufficient toliftthe cylinder ofi the iston I may, as'shown, provide the va ve D with astem D5 extending upward through the cap Gland through a slot formed for the purpose in the arm E2 of the leverE, and to provide With a' head, for instance the adjustable lock 4nuts D", which will be engaged by the lever arm E2 -when the lever E is rockedfj above the upward normal .limit of mo tion. This of course results in moving the 'valveD into the position in-which it closes y the port C* andopens ,the port C5 regard# .less of the pressure conditionsv thenyexistingV in thev chamber C.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new' and desire to secureby Letters Patent is.

1.1 The combination with a relatively movable piston and cylinder members cfa iiluid pressure actuated main valve movable to connect said cylinder member to a source of fluid under pressure or vtoexhaust to thereby produce relative to and fro movements. be-

Itween said members and fluid pres 'ureoperating mechanism for said main valve ineluding a pilot valve mechanism automatically responsive lto the relative to and fro. movement of said members for shifting said .main valve to 'produce such movements and an alternate manually controlled mechanism for' shifting said main valve.

2. The combination 'with a relatively movable piston and cylinder members of a valve mechanism controlling the admissionv to and.

exhaust from said cylinder member of au operating Huid, said valve mechanism ina pilot valve lautomatically actuatedby the relative movements of said members for in-g termittently connecting said valve -mechanism chamber to a source ofiiuid under pressure or to exhaust to cause the valve mecha- 'l msm to move in oney direction. or the other and an alternative niechanism-f0r manually controlling the admission toand exhaust .from said cylinder member.`

3. The combination with arelativelyniov;

able piston and lcylindermembers with a operating iiuid, said uding a piston and said valve mechanism pendent ofthe pilot valve,

cylinder B shall not be'v thisstem at itsfupperend f :said cylinder and 'manual actuating cylinder .et avalve mechanism including a piston and chamber therefor, said valve mechanism lan exhaust passage or inv means .for niaintaininor l': b

, said chamber to and other cause the valve VI neclianism;-to move in one direction or the other, means for automata-- cally operating the pilot valve when said piston and cylinderrmemb'ers approach the limitsv of their movement relative'to each other and manually controlled means-indethe admission lto inder of the operating fluid.A

4. The combination withA thepiston and actuating cylinder of va jar molding machine -of a'valve casing having an inlet chamber.

and an exhaust chamber, a valve in said casing movable to alternately connect each of said `chambers to said cylinder while closing communication between andthe cylinder, operating mechanism com prisingmeans for frojin automatic response to the movements of Athe-piston and cylinder relative-to each other while constantly supplying fluid under pressure to said inlet'chambers 'andalterna-v tive operating mechanism comprising means ior `holding said valve in the position in which said inlet chamber is .connected to natelyI connecting said inlet chamber to a source of fluid under pressure and toexhaust. I i The combiiiationiwith the piston and of a jar' molding machine sei-singt o connect said actuating cylinder to toanother passage according to the pressure in said chamber, mecha n ism for alternately raising and lowering the I'iressure in said chamber while maintaining coi'nmunication between said other passage anda 'source of -fluid ,pressure and alternative operating .mechanism compris- :1 -constant pressure in said chaiiiber'and means for connecting said other passage to exhaust or to a source of iiuid under pressure at will.

6. rThe c'oi'iibination with the piston and actuating cylinder of a jar molding machine, of a. valve mechanism controlling the admission to and exhaust from said cylinder of an operating luidjsaid valve mechanism including a piston and'chainber therefor and a pilot valve for` intermittently connecting a source of fluid under pressure or to exhaust to cause tlie valve mechaiiism to move -in'oiie direction or the other,

meansl independent l'fof said pilot valve responsive vto `apredetermined relati ve; iu'ovciiient' of .the combination with. al piston .and a 'c 1- j luder containing the `sa'me Aand provided-With the other chamber means yfor alterl `the first `mentioned piston" l,and said actuating cvlinder-for loperating -for .controlling and exhaust from the cylmoving said valve to and iso' en inieke passage and an exhaust Dassage ie? cemmunication therewith, of a, vaive eas in the path of saiciintake passage, a visive in seid easing arranged toeiose said intake pas'ssge and having e pressure sur; 'Ease si smaller aree expesed to the ui in seici intake passage for actuation of the valve an provided with megms for closing one of said passa-ges when so actuated, said valve casing having a eomee'ion with said ini=i-iepassege and sai. valve having an opposite pressure face ei greater area, and e pilot valve `controlled and actuated by c he ielative movement of the piston' anni eyhnder and the'pressure of the intake iiuid, said 15 pilot valve being arranged to open said connection and admit iiuid to return said valve by pressure on its surface of 1greater area.

WILFR D LEWIS.

Witnesses Y ARNOLD KATZ, D. STEWART. 

